Vacuum braking device



Feb. 7, 1939.

T. E. TUDQR VACUUM BRAKING DEVICE Filed Aug. ll, 1936 Patented F eb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE` v VACUUM BRAKING DEVICE Thomas E. Tudor, Frankfort, Ind.

Application August 11,

(Cl. 18S- 152) c 's Y 2 Claims.

This invention relates to braking apparatus,

and has more particular reference to vacuum braking devices for use in connection with motor Y vehicles which are driven by internal combustion 5 engines.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates improvements upon braking apparatus wherein the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine has communication through a l valve-controlled conduit with a braking cylinder whose piston is connected with manually operatedY brake mechanism,V the piston of the brake cylinder being operated to apply the brakes when the engine is throttled and a relatively high dem) gree of suction is created within the intake manifold of said engine.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a braking'apparatus of the above kind wherein improved means is provided to es- 20 tablish communication between the intake manifold and the braking cylinder when the brake pedal" is depressed to apply the brakes., and whereby a predetermined amount of vacuum braking force is applied to the braking mechanism in accordance with the pressure applied to the brake pedal. l

Another object of the present invention is to provide a brake apparatus of the above kind which. may be operated by manual effort applied to the brake pedal, in the event that the power energy fails.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a braking apparatus of the above kind which is simple and durable in construction, eflicient and positive in action, and economical to produce and install.

With the above general objects in view and others that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better' understood, s uch invention consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed. l

In the drawing: l

Figure l is a View partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation, showing the general arrangement of a braking mechanism embodying the' present invention;

i o Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudi- Anal section showing the internal construction of the brake cylinder and associated parts;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, showing :theinternal construction of the valve for con- P. giatroiling Ecommicationi betwee'ntheintaikemani- 1936, serial No. 9541i fold and the brake cylinder and forming partl of v the apparatus shown in Figure Vl;

Figure 4 is a view'showing in top plan a hand operated valve which may be employed for controlling communication between the intake mani-Y 5 fold and the braking cylinder;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectio-n on line 6-8 of Figure 5.

The present invention can be employed in connection with various types of vehicles and various forms of braking mechanism. As shown in the drawing, one of the brakes, which-may be of any well known form, is indicated at 5. Through a link 6, lever 1, a rock shaft 8, and a link 9, braking force is manually applied from the usual brake pedal I0..

'Ihe internal combustion engine II of the motor vehicle is provided with the usual intake manifold I2, and tapped into this manifold is a pipe I3 leading to a port I4 of a control valve including a casing I5 provided with said port I4 and with a second port I 6. A secondpipe I 3a provides communication between the port. I6 and one end of a brake cylinder Il. The brake cylinder I1 is provided at this end with a pair of spaced ears IT' to facilitate pivotal mounting of said brake cylinder on the .frame of the vehicle fory vertical swinging movement, on which frameA .the shaft 8 is also `iournalled.

yThe cylinder I1 is provided with a piston I8 which is connected with a crank I8v secured to the shaft 8. The link I5 isof course connected to the lever or arm 1, and said lever or armi is? secured to the shaft 8. As shown clearly in Figure 2, the piston I8 has a hollow rod I9 which slidably projects through the front end or head of cylinder II and is pivotally connected tothe arm I8, one end of rod I9 extending through and* 40 being rigidly secured to the center of the piston I8. Rigidly secured at one end to the rear or pivoted end of cylinder I1 is a guide rod 20 that extends axially through the cylinder I1 and piston I8 and has a sliding fit in the piston rod I9.-V 45 A tapered helical compression spring 2|,is disposed in the cylinder I1 and encircles the guide rod 2D between the piston I8 and the rear end of cylinder I1. This spring r2I serves to assist in returning the piston I8 to its forward or retracted 50 position. As the spring 2l is conical and closely encircles the guide rod 20 adjacent the piston I8,

as well as fittingrthe bore of cylinder I'l at its rearend, said spring 2l is centered so as to voper- @site mciny arid tornavanonitiaginufone the piston I8 or its rod I9 such as might set up a binding action between said piston and cylinder I1 or between the rod I9 and the head of cylinder I'I through which said rod I9 passes. Such tilting tendencies and consequent binding of the piston and piston rod are also insured against by reason of the guide rod 20 and its sliding fit in the piston rod IS, particularly as the guide rod I9 projects forwardly well beyond the forward end or head of cylinder I l. By reason of this construction, a brake cylinder is had. in which the piston of said cylinder may work smoothly and easily and in which the packing of said piston will wear uniformly so as to last for a relatively long period of time.

As above stated, communication between the intake manifold I2 and the cylinder II through the line composed of pipes I3 and Ilia, is controlled by the valve including valve casing I5 that is interposed in said line and also has a third port 22 which communicates with the atmosphere.

The control valve embodying casing l5 is of the two-way type including a movable valve member in the form of a piston 23 slidably fitted in the casing I5 and provided with an axial operating stern (it that slidably projects through one end of the casing I5. The piston 23 is yieldingly urged toward and normally maintained at the other end of casing I5 by means of a helical compression spring 25 arranged in the casing I5 and encircling the stem 2li between piston 253 and the adjacent end of the casing i5. The piston 23 is provided with spaced annular peripheral grooves 26 and Z'I and an axial bore 28 communicating with said grooves 26 and 21 through ports 2Q and 3G. As shown in Figure 3, the pipe I 3a is normally placed in communication with the atmosphere by way of ports I5 and 22 and the space in casing l5 surrounding the stem 2li between the forward end of casing I5 and the forward end of piston 23 which is located entirely rearwardly of port It. Thus, when pressure is relieved from pedal Il), spring 25 re'tracts piston 23 to the position of Figure 3 so as to permit air to be drawn into the rear end of cylinder I'l behind piston I8 as the piston I3 is urged forwardly by spring 2l to release the brakes. On the other hand, when pedal l! is depressed to apply the brakes, the piston 23 is drawn forwardly against the action of spring 25 so as to aline groove 26 with Vport I@ and groove 2l with port It, thus establishing communication between pipes I3 and I 3a and consequently between the manifold I2 and the rear end of cylinder I'I; When this is done, the piston i8 moves to the right of Figure A2 or rearwardly against the action of spring ZI so as to cause application of the brakes, atmospheric air being admitted to the forward end of cylinder El' at the forward or left hand side of piston IB through a constantly open port 3l provided in the forward or left hand end or head of cylinder I?. In other words, the engine suction creates a vacuum in the rear end of cylinder l? behind the piston I8, while atmospheric pressure in front of piston I8 causes the latter to move rearwardly against the action of spring El and apply the brakes. At this time, the forward portion of piston 23 is positioned between the ports I5 and 22 so as to close communication between the latter, thereby preventing admission of atmospheric air into the pipe I3a.

It is noted that the control valve forms a lost motion connection between the pedal I and the arm or lever 'I so as to render the power means operative before or in advance of any possibility of using manual eiort in applying the brakes. For this purpose, the link 9 is composed of two sections, the stem 24 constituting one section and being pivotally connected to the pedal it, and the other section being pivotally attached to the arm l at one end and being secured to the rear end of casing E at its other or forward end. Preferably, the rear end of the cylinder l5 is closed by a head 32 having an external axial boss 33 into which the forward end of the rear section of link it is threaded and secured. Obviously, should the power energy fail for any reason so that the brakes are not applied when the pedal has been depressed suiciently to shift the piston 23 to its forward position against the action of spring 25, the brakes may be applied by manual effort by simply further depressing the pedal Ill, at which time no urther relative movements of the piston 23 and casing I5 away from each other is permitted by reason of the engagement of a rear enlarged portion of stern 24 with the forward end of cylinder I5, which enlarged portion of stem 2d is indicated at 3G.

If desired, the braking power may also be controlled by hand by providing a communication between pipes I3 and Ita, as indicated at 35 in Figure l, and by providing a hand operated control valve 36 in this communication. A suitable hand operated valve may be of the construction shown in Figures 4 to 6 inclusive wherein there is provided a circular casing composed of a body 31 of inverted cup-shape and a plate 38 closing the bottom of this body and provided with spaced ports 3d and -El. Arranged in the casing thus provided, there is rotatably fitted a movable valve member in the form of a disk lll having an arcuate groove 62 in the bottom side thereof and being resiliently and iirrnly seated against the bottom closure plate 3E by means of a helical compression spring 43 arranged in the body 3'! above the disk E-I. The body 3? has a central opening in the top thereof in which is journalled a shaft ifi to the lower end of which the disk il is keyed and to the upper end of which is attached an operating handle The bottom closure plate is also provided with a third port it adjacent the port and the arrangement is such that when the disk Il! is rotated to one position as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the groove i2 affords communication between the ports 35 and lid, while partial rotation of disk @I in the 'direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 4 will cause closing of port it and the placing of ports 3g and /l in communication with each other by way of groove IIE. Obviously, by connecting port 3Q with pipe i3d and port QE with pipe i3, the valve 35 may be utilized to either place the manifold in communication with cylinder I'I or to cut oir" communication between the manifold I E and cylinder I 'I and simultaneously place said cylinder I'l .in communication with the atmosphere. n other words, when the disk il is in the position of Figures 4 and 6 suction will be utilized to apply the brakes, the suction being applied behind piston i8 and atmospheric air being admitted through port SI. On the other hand, if the disk il is rotated so as to close port t@ and place the ports 39 and 46 into communication with each other, the spring ZI may return the piston I8 to brake releasing position, atmospheric air being admitted behind piston I8 by way of port 46, port 3S, groove 42 and pipe I3a, and air being fed from cylinder I1 in front of piston I8 by way of port 3l. The manual control valve is preferably constructed as to be readily mounted on the steering column of the motor vehicle, and for this purpose the valve may be provided with an attaching clamp 41, one half of which may be cast integral with the bottom closure plate 38. Also, means is preferably provided to prevent accidental or relatively easy turning of handle 45 and disk 4|, such as a spring pressed pin 48 carried by handle 45 and engaging the periphery of body 3l.

While the structural features of this invention have been shown and described more or less specically, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible of such modications as fairly fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a vehicle brake, a vacuum line, a valve for controllingk the 110W through said line, a vacuum cylinder vented constantly to the atmosphere at its forward end and pivoted to the vehicle frame on a horizontal axis at its rear end, said vacuum line being connected to the rear end of said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having a piston rod slidably extending through the forward end of said cylinder, braking mechanism, an operative connection between said piston rod and said braking mechanism including a lever having a depending arm pivoted to the forward end of said piston rod, a manually operable brake lever, said lever having a second upwardly extending arm, means operatively connecting said brake lever with said upwardly extending arm, a spring normally maintaining said piston forwardly in said cylinder with said brake mechanism in brake-released position, said means operatively connecting the brake lever with the upwardly extending lever arm including a sectional link having said control valve interposed in and forming a lost motion connection between the sections of said sectional link, one section of said link being pivoted at its forward end to said brake lever, the other section of s said link being pivoted at its rear end to said upwardly extending lever, and said control valve including a casing rigid with one of said link sections, and a piston valve member slidable in said casing and rigid with the other link section, said valve casing having a port near one end connected to the vacuum cylinder and a second port near the other end connected to said vacuum line, said valve casing further'having a third port adjacent the first-named port and opening to the atmosphere, said piston valve member having an axial bore and radial ports communicating with said bore and arranged to connect the two first-named ports of the casing when the piston valve member is moved relative to the casing in one direction by operation of the brake lever to apply the brakes, said piston valve member being further arranged to uncover and afford communication between the first and the third named ports and to simultaneously close the second-named port when the piston valve member is moved relative to the casing in the opposite direction upon return of the brake lever to brake-releasing position, and yieldable means to normally move the piston valve member in the latter direction.

2. In a vehicle brake, a Vacuum line, a valve for controlling the flow through said line, a vacuum cylinder vented to the atmosphere at its forward end and pivoted to the vehicle frame on a horizontal axis at its rear end, said Vacuum line being connected to the rear end of said cylinder, a piston in said cylinder having a piston rod slidably extending through the forward end of said cylinder, braking mechanism, an operative connection between said piston rod and said braking mechanism including a lever having a depending arm pivoted tc the forward end of said piston rod, a manually operable brake lever, said lever having a second upwardly extending arm, means operatively connecting said brake lever with said upwardly extending arm, a spring normally maintaining said piston forwardly in said cylinderwith said brake mechanism in brakereleased position, said piston rod being hollow and rigidly secured to and extending through the center of said piston, a guide rod rigid with the rear end of the vacuum cylinder and slidably fitted in said piston rod, said guide rod extending axially through said piston and forwardly beyond the forward end of said cylinder, said spring encircling the guide rod between said piston and the rear end of said cylinder and being of conical form to snugly engage the guide rod at one end adjacent the piston and to have a large bearing against the cylinder at the other end.

THOMAS E TUDOR. 

